Hyderabad, July 5, 2026: The Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU), in collaboration with the Government of Telangana, the Sports Authority of Telangana and the Telangana Rugby Association, proudly announces the 11th edition of Junior National Rugby 7s Championship for Under-18 Boys and Girls. The championship will be held at the iconic GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad, from 6-11 July 2026.
The Girls’ Championship will take place on 6-7 July, followed by the Boys’ Championship on 10–11 July. More than 600 players representing 26 states and union territories will compete in the Rugby 7s format, bringing together the country’s finest young rugby talent.
Fresh from hosting Season 2 of the HSBC Rugby Premier League, Powered by AVID, the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium will now welcome the next generation of Indian rugby stars. While this is the first time the Junior National Rugby 7s Championship will be hosted at the venue, Telangana has made significant contributions to the growth of rugby in India by previously hosting multiple editions of the Sub-Junior National Rugby 7s Championship, the South Zone Rugby 7s Championship for Men and Women, and the 63rd National School Games Rugby Championship.
The championship remains a cornerstone of Rugby India’s player development pathway, bringing together the country’s best Under-18 talent while providing an important platform for identifying future national team players.
The tournament will be played in a league-cum-knockout format, with the top 16 teams from the pool stage advancing to the knockout rounds. The remaining teams will compete in classification matches to determine the final standings.
Bihar enters the championship as defending champions in both the Under-18 Boys’ and Girls’ categories following a dominant campaign in Dehradun last year. Odisha and Maharashtra, who finished second and third respectively in both competitions, will be aiming to challenge for the title in Hyderabad.
All matches will be streamed live on Rugby India’s official YouTube channel and the SportsKPI YouTube channel, allowing fans across the country to follow the action live.